


Leaving On A Jet Plane

by AuthorToBeNamedLater



Series: Keeping Up With The Raptors [28]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hockey, Alternate Universe - Sports, Bromance, Hockey, Humor, National Hockey League, Raptors, Sports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 03:11:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2093487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorToBeNamedLater/pseuds/AuthorToBeNamedLater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Raptors kick off their last big road swing of the year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leaving On A Jet Plane

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a couple of snippets I had in my head that I thought I'd make it the start of the Raptors' last long road trip. This trip will be the receptacle for a lot of such things.
> 
> Sorry for the long wait. I was visiting my parents for nearly a month and suffered a total computer fail, which means I lost EVERYTHING related to this series. I had this installment ready to roll and then I had to rewrite the whole thing. Also lost all my character bios for my tumblr (which is here http://authortobenamedlater.tumblr.com/) and the software to make them. And did I mention I'm getting married?
> 
> Keeping this series going while working for a living and planning a wedding is no easy task, but rest assured I haven't abandoned it. I don't care how long it takes, I will finish this season.

“No...listen. I'm telling you, you've got the wrong guy!”

Tim Keller glanced up as his defense partner made his way up the aisle of the team's charter flight to Florida. The Raptors were about to kick off March with a 10-game 2-week road trip to Tampa Bay, Florida, Washington, New York (the Rangers), Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Columbus.

“I don't care if you got this number off the official NHL phone directory!” Nik railed. “Yes, the guy in Minnesota...Seattle. Yes, I'm sure.”

Tim didn't try very hard to hide his laughter.

“Well, why don't you tell the NHL to update the directory with the correct information...Yes, that would be marvelous. Thank you.” Nik hung up the phone and gave Tim a dirty look.

“Sorry,” Tim offered when Nik sat down next to him.

“You are not,” Nik grumbled.

Ricky popped his head up from the seat in front of them. “Are you Finnish or Swedish?”

Nik regarded Ricky with the bewildered awe that most of the Raptors turned on Ricky. “Finnish.”

“You don't have an accent,” Ricky said skeptically.

“I don't have an accent, eh?” Nik purposely laid his Canadian accent on thick.

“Not really,” Ricky said.

“My family moved to Ottawa when I was two,” Nik explained.

“Do you speak Finnish?”

“Nope. Swedish.”

“What?”

“Some Finns speak Swedish,” Nik said. “There was a little cross-contamination going on way back when.”

“Can you say something in Swedish?” Ricky asked.

“ _Din pappa ar en vaska.”_ Nik rattled off.

“What's that mean?”

“Your father is a duffel bag.”

.

.

.

Stanislav Cibulka sat in his seat losing his mind. Since he wasn't able to make phone calls until the team got to Orlando, the soon-to-be dad was obsessively refreshing his email to see if his wife had gone into labor.

Stan knew the procedure if Amy went into labor on a road trip: The team would book a ticket on the next available flight back to Seattle and a call-up from Tacoma would take Stan's place for the rest of the trip.

 _Are other guys this nervous?_ Stan fidgeted again _._ Thinking of Amy going into labor alone made him want to tear a hole in the fuselage and run back to Seattle from wherever he would land. Stan glanced across the aisle. Hank was leaning against the bulkhead absorbed in whatever he was reading on his Kindle. Stan took a deep breath and slid into the seat next to his captain. “Hank?”

Hank looked up. “Hey, Bulk. What's up?”

“Were any of your kids born while you were on the road?” Stan rushed out.

Hank set the Kindle on his lap. “Yeah,” he said. “Charlie was born when we were in Edmonton. They told me during morning skate and I hopped a plane back to Seattle.” He gave Stan an understanding smile. “Nervous?”

“A little,” Stan said. “Amy's due soon and...we'll be a lot further away than Edmonton.”

“Coach went over the procedure with you, right?” Hank asked.

Stan nodded.

“Is something else on your mind?” Hank prodded gently.

“What about after she has the baby?” Stan blurted. “What if it's a girl? I don't know anything about girls.”

Hank smiled. “I didn't either,” he admitted. “At least you have sisters. I just had my brother. When Donna was born I had no idea what to do.”

“So what did you do?”

“I learned,” Hank said simply. “And you will too. The world is full of fathers who didn't know anything about girls before they had one.”

“I guess you know everything about kids by now,” Stan murmured before he could stop himself.

“Does Wayne Gretzky know everything about hockey?” Hank asked.

“Yes. Well, no,” Stan corrected abruptly. “Probably not.”

“Even though he's been at it for his entire life?”

“There's always something else to learn,” Stan said.

“Exactly,” Hank said softly. “I've got six kids, Bulk. My oldest is about to go to college and my youngest is still in diapers. I had to learn something new with each one of them. And we all survived.”

Stan nodded. “Thanks,” he whispered.

Just with that little conversation, the Raptors' resident father-to-be felt like a half-ton weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

 


End file.
